teen Hundred Thirteen, she was headed off and captured
by an English gunboat. Word was sent to Girard that he could have his
boat by bringing an inventory of the craft and cargo and paying over
British gold to the amount. He went down the bay in a small boat, met
the enemy on a frank business basis, paid over one hundred eighty
thousand dollars in English guineas, and came sailing back to his own
calm satisfaction, even if to the embarrassment of the crew. The boat
was loaded with tea, and Girard was essentially a tea-merchant. He knew
his market and sold the "Montesquieu's" cargo for just five hundred
thousand dollars.

When yellow fever came like a blight to the city, and the grass grew in
the streets, Girard gave bountifully to relieve the distress of the
people. But a panic of fear was upon them. They forgot how to live and
began to pray. Preachers proclaimed that the Day of Judgment was at
hand. Whole families died and left no one to look after their affairs.

Every night, wagons went through the streets and the hoarse cry was
heard: "Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead!"

Then the old millionaire showed the heroic side of his nature. He
organized a hospital at Bush Hill, and took personal charge of it. Every
office that could be done for the sick and dying, he did. With his own
carriage he would go to houses, and lifting the stricken ones in his
arms, carry them out and transport them to a place where they could have
attention.

As the spirits of others sank, his soared. To the men who walked in the
middle of the street with a sponge to their noses, he would call in
banter. He laughed, danced and sang at the pesthouse--things he was
never known to do before. "Fear is the only devil," he wrote on a big
board and put it up on Chestnut Street. He would often call at fifty
houses a day, carrying food and medicine, but best of all, good-cheer.
"If death catches me, he'll find me busy," he used to say.

He showed the same courage when the financial panic was on in Eighteen
Hundred Ten. At this time every one was hoarding and business was
paralyzed. Girard had one million dollars to his credit with Baring
Brothers in London. He drew out the whole sum and invested it in shares
of the United States Bank. This bold move inspired confidence and broke
the back of the panic.

In Eighteen Hundred Eleven, when the charter of the United States Bank
had expired, and Congress foolishly declined to renew it, Girard bought